The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-24
Escaped from the Storm.


Eight or ten years ago two young meI
came to stanton from the lower Valley
and established carriage mandatory
They were Geo. NJ. Bodell and Charles e
CIinednst, and the firm name was Cline
di0st Sc Bodell. To-day both are fugitiyes
deeingfrom the grasp Of the law, with
| good name and reputation gone, and with
| but little, if anything. to show as a result
Of q long series of systematic yet reckless
criminal practices They leave behind
them debts estimated all the way from
! $40, 900 to $40 600, and families said to be
destitute.
For short while after establishing in
Stanton, the FIRM occupied one of the
large rooms il the Stuart block, froHting
Oh EIiddlebrook Avenue. Both we're in
dastrious and excellent workmen, with
exemplary habits, SO far as the world knew,
Mr.. Bodell being a member Of the Metho-
dist church, and Mr.. Clinedinst a regular
church attendant. Their business seemed
to prosper, ard TO meet the increasing de-
mand, larger and better adapted quarters
were secured, force Of Workmen in the
various departments was employed, and
successful efforts were made to extend the
trade. In all the adjoining counties and
along the lines Of the railroads the Cline
dinst s. Bcdell buggies could be seen On
exhibition and fer sale on every public day,
| Mr.. Bodall for the most part being the
salesman.
The bus mess Of the firm increased, and
in addition to their own manufacture, they
handled good deal of Western work, -
Sales were made over a wide area of coun-
try, and The monetary transactions of the
concern reached to considerable proper
tons
Within the past year Or two, however,
the firm S financial standing has been far
below first class. Their paper was repeat
eddy protested. but by hook CT crook they
managed to meet the judgments. Whether
this embarrassment was due primarily to
the difficulty CT making collections, or bad
management. is not known, but certain it
| is their affairs went from bad to worse
until the end was reached il fol gerry and
fight.
The plan Of their operation seems 10
have been to take notes in payment fer
work. In the carly stages of the firm S
business life these notes were discounted
al the banks, but later, the banks, not ap-
proving Their business methods, turned
their paper down whenever it appeared
| before the board. The street corner bro
kers were then resorted to, and the notes
found their way iuto private hands.
in some instances at heavy discounts
Money had to be raised to meet maturing
judgments, no matter what the sacrifice.
After d while the actual receipts were not
sufficient TO cover the constant outflow,
and to make mp the deficiency forgery was
resorted to- A single instance viii illus
tratein part their methods:
& buggy was sold say to Mr.. Milton NJ.
Koinor, for which a genuine note was Civ
Ell. drawn to CliDedinst s. Bodell. the
drawer signing his name in full as above.
This note would be endorsed by the firm.
ami disposed OF, and another made with
tAe name Of y. NJ. Coiner forged to it,
AS the name is spelled two CT three ways,
even by members OF the same family, the
party purchasing the note would be led to
believe that Milton NJ. Koiner was The
genuine drawer. With such name the
note was known to be as good as gold
Some times the middle initial or @ letter
Of the name would be changed, as Mason5
cup fer Masncup. McCutcheon for Me-
Cutchen, and so on. When these notes
would mature and Judgment issue, the
funds would be raised 10 meet the judg-
ments by other forgeries Of similar char
acter. What the aggregate of these trans
actions was It is difficult to ascertain. It
is estimated al from $50 900 to $40, 600 and
somewhere between those two may be To-
Gated the correct a-1ount.
TIE principal holders Of the firm S paper
are Messrs. j. K. McComb, P, II. Trout,
4. b. Lghtner, J. G. Cochran, S. NJ.
w likes. Samuel Wilson and G. f. Flick.
From some Of these gentlemen money was
borrowed, and the forged and some gem
uine notes left as collateral Others were
eAdersors and Others still purchasers
Mr.. McComb's name us endorser appears
Oh a good deal Of the paper, some of which
IS genuine aud on some il is claimed that
b3yh drawer and endorsement are forge
res. Where the notes are genuine or the
endorsements genuine, the holders will be
securs. ont the difficulty will be to, sepa-
rate this class from the spurious.
Last Tuesday week Mr.. Ciinedinst |
boarded the east bound train on the c. &
0. Ry., ard stated to fellow passengers who
conversed With him that he was going to
his father 10 Jaw i'll Page county. He was
dressed in ordinary working clothes. and |
appeared TO have no baggage. He left the !
train at Waynesboro Junction. Mr.. Bodell |
boarded the same train at Crozet. and went |
as far us Charlottesville. He stated that |
he was on his way to Nelson to make col
lections. He also had on his ordinary
working clothes.
When it was discovered that both mem |
bers CT the firm were absent, the holders
Of the obligations began to feel uneasy land
dbJaCABstuto Wt4C oub0 Uub diIu tlG SIOUX
between 81 900 and 81 200 worth-leyied |
on. Ga the 10Th an assignment held by |
g. T. Flick for $4,000, was recorded, and |
Mr.. S. a. Wilson sued out an attachment |
il the clerk S office for 1898. This was the
beginning. but it is impossible to see the
enc, as it is not known how much of the
outstanding obligations Of the firm can be
realized. s4
The families Of both OF the men are
comparatively destitute. Mr. Bodell has
wife afd FIVE children. and Mr. Cline
dins5 a wife and two children. It is said
that they left only few dollars at their
homes Dor is az believed that they carried
away with them any large amount. The
secret OF their failure is generally suppos-
Ell 20 have been the payment of exorbitant |
Interest rates, the pressure growing strong
er d stronger upon them until they were
finally driven to desperation. Neither of |
them lived eXtravagantly on spent much |
money, and both were men of good habits.
\ genuine sympathy is felt for their fam
lies.
The whereabouts Of the two men is now |